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A Treatise on Worgen and the Light
"A Treatise on Worgen and the Light" is a short book written by Father Ivor Ambrose and published by the Gilneas clergy a year after the Gilneas kingdom officially re-joined the Alliance. The treatise delves into a series of obscure information and conjecture collected on the worgen form and alikens it to the Holy Light; despite the form's actual druidic origins, this information is later used to call attention to a prevalent religious issue in human society. The author's inspiration appears simple enough: it is said that the religious father counseled those who were unable to adapt to the worgen curse and in doing so learned much about its origins – eventually, a revelation struck him and he began to call the worgen curse the Light's bittersweet blessing. In fact, once Father Ambrose praised the worgen form as a blessing he took to remaining a worgen at all times, even in public. He later departed Teldrassil for Stormwind City and assembled his evidence and philosophies into a short work that is available for all to read in the libraries of the city's Cathedral of Light, however his tendency to remain a worgen quickly drew the human public's criticism and inadvertently popularized his work. A Treatise on Worgen and the Light Druids of the Scythe The worgen were not always savage beasts, and we find that this much is still true today. The very first worgen-to-be existed some ten millennia ago during the War of the Satyr, a topic seldom understood by the human race. The Druids of the Pack, a sect of night elven druids, harnessed the fury of the wolf ancient Goldrinn and adopted his image, boosting their powers substantially but at a grave cost. The wolf form proved to be uncontrollable, consuming its users with a primal rage and killer instincts. It is not surprising, therefore, that the archdruid Malfurion Stormrage banned the form's practice; yet, the satyr threat was immense and undeniable. The Druids of the Pack proceeded to create what they called the Scythe of Elune from Goldrinn's fang and a staff said to be from the night elves' moon goddess Elune herself, and used its powers to twist the wolf form into something malicious: the worgen we know today. Ten millennia ago, the worgen were used to combat a demonic threat. Nine years ago, the archmage Arugal—royal court wizard of Gilneas' king, Genn Greymane—summoned the worgen to combat the undead Scourge threat. Archdruid Stormrage was able to right the wrongs of his people by sealing the uncontrollable druids away in the Emerald Dream, and it is believed by the scant survivors of Pyrewood Village that Arugal spent the remainder of his mad days attempting to make peace for his heretical summoning of the worgen. A word of caution. It is not appropriate to assume that Gilneas is paying for the sins of a single man, however the ferocity of the worgen is an appropriate topic for those who believe in the Holy Light and are familiar with Gilnean politics up to and including the aftermath of the Second War. Tenacity, Compassion, and Respect It is no coincidence that the night elven druids, who lacked respect for Archdruid Stormage, were bestowed great powers in their newfound forms for their tenacity and compassion but ultimately lost their sanity. They were, after all, making a grave sacrifice to assist their people. However, they were naive. The Holy Light that I have worshiped my entire life preaches the Three Virtues that man must live by. For those who are not already aware, these Three Virtues are tenacity, compassion, and respect. To be tenacious means to persevere and protect your ideals; to have compassion means to empathize with those less fortunate and a desire to aid those around you; to be respectful means to treat others equally and importantly. I cannot liken the night elves or their moon goddess to the Light, however if we judge the actions of the Druids of the Scythe by these virtues it becomes apparent to us that the worgen form was made powerful to test their mettle. When they failed to uphold virtue, they turned feral and were banished to the Emerald Dream. Indisputable is the fact that the army of worgen summoned by Archmage Arugal in the Third War was entirely feral. Gilneans infected by these worgen were feral at first, as well. But that was not the Light's final judgment for the people. I have come to believe that from the very beginning the worgen form could be mastered, but had served to punish those fallen from grace—until Gilneas would redeem itself in the Light's eyes. Allow me to explain: the Gilneas economy grew fat from a booming industry that far surpassed the other six kingdoms. Over time, a sense of superiority enveloped its people, and after the events of the Second War they publicly condemned Lordaeron's request to spare the orcs the guillotine and put them to work in internment camps. Shortly thereafter, the Greymane Wall was constructed and it became a catalyst for the nation's loss of compassion. Perhaps it was the will of the naaru, the divine beings of pure light I have since learned about, that the feral worgen would serve the kingdom a mixed blessing. Gilneas certainly never asked for the form as the night elves many millennia ago did, and I recall the events of the outbreak very well. I recognized it at the time as a horrifying affliction. In fact, the worgen form could not have come to Gilneas at a more opportune moment. Like the druids, we were bestowed the power necessary to conquer our unholy enemies and the cure to grant us temporary sanity for our tenacity and respect. Permanent sanity came once we united as a people under the ancient tree Tal'doren in the Blackwald to discard our divisions. We were taught compassion in that instant, as we looked upon our forms in the reflection of Elune's holy waters and realized a balance in ourselves and each other. We were reminded of that third virtue and rose once more to righteousness as a stronger people. The Light is not all-forgiving, however: it would allow us to become human for a time, but forever leave us with our larger, upright wolf forms to temper our souls and advise us against attempting our sins once more. The Worgen "Curse" Before I continue any further I must clarify that I am not implying those who escaped the worgen form were purely faithful to the Light, nor that those afflicted by it are sinners. A venerable existence is not achieved through sharing this form necessarily; the worgen outbreak did, however, open the Gilneans' eyes and arguably saved its people. Indeed, it is fate's fantastical way that in a time of harsh division Gilneas set aside its differences to protect what was dear to it. A fitting test of tenacity. It is also fate's mannerism that Gilneas was able to fight alongside its bestial brethren against the Forsaken incursion. A fitting display of respect. Equally notable is our newfound humility and desire to assist others in times of need. An appropriate amount of compassion. The Light's divine guidance had tested the lone kingdom against several groundbreaking threats and eventually deemed it worthy. Truly, the worgen has become a symbol of the nation's dedication and embodiment of the Three Virtues. It is a laurel of accomplishments and sins of past and present that stabilize in equilibrium, allowing the people to exist in harmony and righteousness. It detains conceit and promotes goodwill, and it is up to each of us to ensure that this sacred balance is preserved. The worgen "curse," as I have often heard it called, is an interesting term to me. It is indeed bittersweet, and I have observed many who believe themselves to be unbearable; scornful and unattractive, yet after all that has happened to us can we truly delude ourselves? Is the worgen not a beautiful and just creature, who can only be mastered by the strong-willed and faithful? Indeed, we are living proof of that much. Living Virtuously The following is an excerpt from the book’s conclusion, a letter by the author that diverges from the factual treatise. Our objectives in this life, I believe, are clear. Humanity is at an impasse in war: the Northrend campaign that harshly taxed Stormwind citizenry, the loss and plaguing of Gilneas, and Stromgarde's beloved prince. This war against the Horde has become an inevitability, even in the wake of the disastrous Cataclysm that threatens to devour our livelihoods. The human nations continue to suffer and resources grow scarce because of the effort. At times we ask ourselves whether the Light is watching over and protecting our people. As a priest I been asked this question by many who were separated from their families through any number of means: poverty, famine, and disease. Others adopted spite in their hearts when the Light failed to make them wealthy, or when the strange draenei, who revere the naaru, appeared on Azeroth. It is human nature that we do not accept every fate and are selfish in our ambitions. It is also in our nature that we expect a blessing to come to us with clarity, and therefore we often ignore the blessings of the Light, some of which I confess are hidden or difficult to comprehend. This war that we are absorbed by has turned many men and women to faith and many others to bitter separation, but most importantly it has created a strict drive for nationality. As a human of the Alliance, I cannot help but notice that most of our brother races and ethnic groups do not trust each other and care only for the glory of war. This is, however, not what the Light teaches to its faithful. Currently the dwarven people are divided harshly by their three clans. Stormwind and Gilneas are in similarly poor relations. The draenei, too, are held in contempt and distrusted by many'' –'' and while the Light yearns to help our peoples it will not serve the unfaithful so easily. If we are truly to protect our individuality; our homes and our families; our kingdoms and our Alliance, then we must return to the Light's favor. I hold faith that if we can accomplish this, we shall be led down the path of righteousness. What the Holy Light asks of its subjects is simple and identifies with what our objective should be as a unified Alliance: if we wish to live a venerable and blessed existence, we must discard our differences and acknowledge our brethren. As King Greymane's loyalists and Darius Crowley's rebels did in Gilneas, the peoples of the Alliance must dissolve their in-fighting to recognize the higher calling of the Light and the necessity to face a common threat. The Light will most certainly bless those who are capable of this, and we will stand stronger as a single people afterward should we uphold the Three Virtues during our times of weakness and strife.Category:GilneasCategory:WorgenCategory:Holy LightCategory:Literature